Setup Disk for Panasonic KXL-D742

[Comodín]

I am struggling with my recently purchased PowerBook 540c. It had 7.5.3 on it with all the files and programs of a former user. I have done a fresh install of Mac OS 8 but somehow wiped off the drivers of the Panasonic CD-Rom player (KXL-D742) which is not being recognized anymore by Mac OS 8. I was hoping this install would have wiped off all the traces of the previous owner, but it didn't. I read that Mac OS 8.1 will do this, so I purchased the cd-rom, but now the KXL-D742 is not recognized by the 540c.

On the net I see that these device came with a 3.5" Setup Floppy Disk, but I don't have this one, nor can I find one on the net, eBay, Amazon, etc. Well, without buying a complete new player. Anyone a clue where I can get this floppy? Or maybe something else I have to do to get it working again?

 

[rsolberg]

If you don't have a copy of the instructions, here's a link: http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/KXLD742.PDF

This page may get you in the right direction.

http://chrislawson.net/writing/macdaniel/2k1130cl.shtml

I usually grab CD Sunrise at least initially to get the OS to read HFS formatted discs. It's a miniscule download even back in dial-up days and fits easily on a floppy. You'll need something else to read ISO 9660, but most software CDs for Mac of this era are HFS anyway. OS 8.1's included CD driver supports non-Apple CD drives, so you should be set once it's installed.

 

[Paralel]

If the above doesn't help, I should be able to point you in the correct direction to get it up and running. I was able to get a 21st century Sun Microsystems SCSI DVD-ROM working in 7.1.2p on a 540c, I think I can get just about any optical drive recognized and functional in a 7.x.x environment at this point.

 

[Comodín]

Thanks for the pointer. When I try to expand the .sit file of CD Sunrise on the Powerbook, using Stuffit, I don't see any file. If I do it on my MBP yes, but once transferred to the MS-DOS formatted floppy I don't see the extension file. As you can see, I am pretty new to these old Macs and OS, but I'll figure it out eventually. Just have to get the Panasonic to work so I can install Mac OS 8.1.

Could I find the extension/driver in the Previous System Files folder, and just copy it to the current Extensions folder?

 

[Paralel]

Thanks for the pointer. When I try to expand the .sit file of CD Sunrise on the Powerbook, using Stuffit, I don't see any file. If I do it on my MBP yes, but once transferred to the MS-DOS formatted floppy I don't see the extension file. As you can see, I am pretty new to these old Macs and OS, but I'll figure it out eventually. Just have to get the Panasonic to work so I can install Mac OS 8.1.

Could I find the extension/driver in the Previous System Files folder, and just copy it to the current Extensions folder?

You can't transfer to an MS-DOS formatted floppy, it will completely trash the resource fork. All mac files need to be handled in an environment and transferred in formats or on media that respect resource forks. Once they're trashed they're gone for good.

 

[techknight]

According to the documentation, it appears that Panasonic drive shipped with CDROM Toolkit, you can find this at the macintosh garden. 

 

[Comodín]

I am guessing it's not possible to reformat a MS-DOS formatted floppy to work for a Mac? You have to buy them pre-formatted for either Mac or MS-DOS, right? 

I am waiting for the Farallon PN512B AAUI Ethermac Transceiver to arrive which will make it hopefully easier to transfer data to the PB. The CDROM Toolkit is 5.3MB and I have no way to transfer it at this moment.

 

[rsolberg]

The floppy can be reformatted (Erased or Initialised in Classic Mac OS terms) to Mac OS format. You'll need to have another Mac that supports plain HFS (OS X 10.6.x or earlier, IIRC) and a floppy drive in order to write to it. You can format it first on the PowerBook by clicking on the disk icon on the desktop, then choosing Special > Erase Disk.

My Wallstreet G3 doesn't like CD-Rs and doesn't have a floppy drive, so I use a simple PCMCIA to CF adapter with small CF memory cards to transfer stuff to it. No drivers/extensions required. I just use a USB card reader on the modern Mac end. The Wallstreet runs 8.1 and 8.6, so the CF card can be formatted HFS+ and written to directly from all modern Macs.

 

[Comodín]

Aaah, that did the trick. I formatted the floppy with my 17"Powerbook G4 copied CD Sunrise to it and to the Extensions folder. The PB is now recognizing my Panasonic DVD Player. Many thanks for that. One little step at a time.

The issue I have now is that when booted into Mac OS 8 and putting in the official cd-rom of Mac OS 8.1 it will start reading the disc for a while and then stop and the whole system freezes. Still can move the arrow, but can't click on anything, nor do I see the disc appear on the desktop. Any suggestions?

Update: Every disc is freezing up the system, so I am guessing the CD Sunrise doesn't work properly for the Panasonic KXL-D742.

 

[Comodín]

I removed CD Sunrise and installed Apple's Universal CD ROM Driver 5.3.1 and after a reboot, the cd-rom player is recognized and also Mac OS 8.1.  :b&w: Thanks for all the help. And forward I go to the next problem.

 

[CC_333]

Excellent!

I'd like to clear up one small bit of information, in case it causes trouble: Mac OS X 10.6 (aka Snow Leopard) does not support HFS Standard natively.

10.5 (Leopard) is the last OS X that supports HFS. Everything newer is HFS+ only.

OK. Carry on

c

 

[Paralel]

Isn't it that 10.6 can read HFS, just not write to HFS?

 

[CC_333]

Yes. I forgot to clarify that point!

Thanks!

c